David Shrigley’s drawings are at once disturbing and uproarious. Ironically, he has come out with an illustrated self-help book. The irreverent artist talks to us about his psyche and his puppy.
s READ MOREDavid Shrigley is a funny guy. But there’s a mastery to his scrawled drawings; they are at once disturbing and uproarious. The absurdist artist has stalwart fans (some go as far as to turn his doodles into tattoos) and even the art world takes him seriously (a recent Hayward Gallery retrospective and Turner Prize nomination will attest). This month, Shrigley publishes HOW ARE YOU FEELING? At the Centre of the Inside of the Human Brain’s Mind—an irreverent, if ironic, self-help book of such cerebral musings as: “Your brain is extraordinary. But it is not like a hair dryer: When it goes wrong you cannot just throw it in the river.” Here, he keeps the jokes coming…
You went to art school but your style of drawing is anything but formulaic. When did you start drawing in that distinct David Shrigley way?
To be honest, I’m not really aware of having a style. I have an attitude to drawing, I guess, but I think it’s the same attitude as I had when I was a young child: I just want to amuse myself.
A lot of elements in your work are crossed out and covered up. Are they honest mistakes?
They are real mistakes. I never draw things twice. It would be bad luck to do that.
Humour obviously plays a big part in your work. Are all of your works tongue-in-cheek or do they ever have a deeper message? Do you use humor to express your thoughts on societal/political subjects?
Humour is something that I seem to be unable to avoid. I never intended to be a humorous artist; that’s just the way I turned out. It has taken a long time for me to embrace the comedy of what I do. I used to think it was just a facet of a bigger entity, but I’ve realised it’s very much at the centre of what I do.
When you do a funny drawing, do you laugh to yourself?
Of course!
You certainly don’t censor your work, but do you edit?
I throw away 75% of all my drawings.
You address a number of afflictions in the book. Do you suffer from any, and if so, do you take your own advice?
At the moment I’m suffering from a prolapsed disc in my lower back. I don’t think I’ve ever given out any advice about that.
What inspired the “I’m Dead” dog sculpture?
I guess it’s a piece about how weird taxidermy is. Amongst other things.
Please tell us about your new puppy!
My wife and I have a black miniature Schnauzer called Inka. She is about 14 months at the time of writing. We don’t have kids so I guess she fills a gap for us, and of course is somewhat spoiled. I never liked or wanted a dog, but as soon as Inka arrived I did a total 180. Now I love all dogs. Inka is a pretty amiable dog, all things considered. She has a few bad habits, but then so do I… Happiness for me is walking on the beach with my wife and Inka.
—
davidshrigley.com
All artwork courtesy of David Shrigley
For more information and to purchase the book, click here
We are thrilled to introduce Dog-Friendly, a collection of city guides for dog-loving people, created together with our long-time contributor, photographer Winnie Au, and fellow enthusiasts, indie publisher Hoxton Mini Press. Available for purchase here.
August 25, 2021
Have you ever imagined Amy Winehouse or Nick Cave as a Chihuahua, Neil Young as a Vizsla, or PJ Harvey as an Afghan hound? That’s exactly what San Francisco-based artist Michael Gillette has done through his unique illustration project, blending beloved, iconic music legends, both past and present, with their dog counterparts. Pack of Dogs, our first foray into book publishing, is a celebration of pup and pop culture for music and dog lovers alike.
August 25, 2020
tk 1971 – Practical Guidance for Bangladeshi Players What is tk 1971 and Why It Matters in Bangladesh? tk 1971 is a locally‑focused online gambling portal that aggregates casino games, sports betting and live dealer tables under one banner. For Bangladeshi players it offers a familiar “tk” (Bangladeshi Taka) denomination, so you never have to…
October 29, 2026
tk1971: Practical Guidance for Bangladeshi Players What is t k 1971? t k 1971 is a Bangladesh‑focused online gambling platform that combines casino games, live dealer tables, and sports betting under one roof. The brand has been marketed heavily on local social media, promising high limits and fast payouts that attract both beginners and seasoned…
October 29, 2026
Most people don’t sit down for a three-hour pokie marathon. They open a tab, spin for ten minutes while the kettle boils, close it, and come back later. That stop-start rhythm is the behaviour this article is built around, and Gday77 Casino suits it almost too well. The platform runs entirely in a mobile-friendly browser,…
October 29, 2026
OnlySpins – Praktischer Leitfaden zur Registrierung und ersten Schritten Warum OnlySpins? Lizenz, Sicherheit und Spielauswahl OnlySpins ist ein lizenzierter Online‑Casino‑Betreiber, der von der Malta Gaming Authority überwacht wird. Die Lizenz sorgt dafür, dass alle Spiele fair und nach europäischen Standards geprüft sind. Für deutsche Spieler bedeutet das zusätzliche Sicherheit: Datenverschlüsselung nach TLS‑Standard und transparente Auszahlungsbedingungen….
October 29, 2026
OnlySpins Deutschland – Ihr umfassender Guide für ein sicheres Casino‑Erlebnis Was ist OnlySpins? – Das Herzstück für deutsche Spieler OnlySpins ist ein relativ junges, aber schnell wachsendes Online‑Casino, das sich speziell an Spieler aus Deutschland richtet. Die Plattform kombiniert klassische Casinospiele mit modernen Slots, Live‑Dealer‑Tischen und sogar einer kleinen Sportwetten‑Abteilung. Dabei legt das Team großen…
October 29, 2026
Onlyspins Erfahrungen – Praktischer Leitfaden für deutsche Spieler Registrierung und erste Schritte bei Onlyspins Der Einstieg bei Onlyspins ist bewusst unkompliziert gestaltet. Nach dem Klick auf den Registrierungs‑Button werden Sie gebeten, Name, E‑Mail‑Adresse und ein sicheres Passwort anzugeben. Sobald das Formular abgesendet ist, erhalten Sie eine Bestätigungs‑Mail, die Sie mit einem Klick aktivieren müssen –…
October 29, 2026
Fugu Casino Erfahrungen – Dein Praxis‑Guide für 2026 Registrierung und erste Schritte Der Einstieg bei Fugu Casino ist bewusst simpel gehalten: Auf der Startseite finden Sie einen deutlich gekennzeichneten „Registrieren“-Button. Dort geben Sie Ihren Namen, Ihre E‑Mail‑Adresse und ein sicheres Passwort ein. Nach dem Absenden erhalten Sie eine Bestätigungs‑Mail, die Sie mit einem Klick aktivieren…
October 29, 2026
Fugu Casino Erfahrungen – Ihr kompletter Leitfaden Registrierung & erste Schritte bei Fugu Casino Der Start bei Fugu Casino ist bewusst unkompliziert gestaltet. Auf der Startseite finden Sie den großen „Registrieren“-Button, der Sie direkt zum Anmeldeformular führt. Dort werden nur die nötigsten Angaben abgefragt: Name, E‑Mail, Geburtsdatum und ein sicheres Passwort. Nach dem Absenden erhalten…
October 29, 2026
Most people don’t sit down for a Wildpokies session with a three-hour plan. They open the site on a phone, pick a game, spin for a few minutes, and get back to whatever they were doing. That short-burst rhythm is the whole personality of the experience, and it shapes everything from which games get picked…
October 28, 2026
Betify Casino en Ligne | Jouez sur Betify avec 1000 € ▶️ JOUER Содержимое Betify Casino en Ligne – Jouez sur Betify avec 1000 € Inscrivez‑vous maintenant sur Betify et activez un bonus de bienvenue pouvant atteindre 1000 € Détails du bonus de bienvenue Dépôt minimum et options de paiement pour 1000 € Jeux à forte rentabilité pour…
October 28, 2026
